The Tennessee congressional delegation was divided over legislation to extend a payroll tax holiday for millions of average workers, but unlike past battles the bill’s critics didn’t put up much of a fight.
The bill puts around one thousand dollars into the pockets of average workers. Many Republicans, such as Tennessee Senator Bob Corker, don’t like that the tax cut isn’t paid for and comes from money intended for the Social Security Trust Fund.
“It’s just not good public policy to really deteriorate the whole Social Security trust by doing this. This eventually will lead to Social Security being a welfare program.”
Freshmen Republicans have won many battles in this Congress…forcing party leaders to avoid compromising on what they say are conservative principles, such as not adding to the deficit. Not this time.
Republican Congressman Scott DesJarlais says that’s partly because the bill wasn’t released publicly until last night.
“Final details were not presented until really just yesterday so there wasn’t a lot of time to discuss it further.”
The majority of Republicans supported the bill and are glad opponents didn’t turn the legislation into a bitter inter-party fight. Freshmen Republicans Steve Fincher and Chuck Fleischmann supported the legislation along with Memphis Democrat Steve Cohen.
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